With 100% English Ancestry, I thought it might be really difficult to trace my ancestors back in England from Canada. Only my mother, her father and his mother were born in Canada. This Blog will talk about researching my English ancestors from Canada but also the ancestors of our son in law whose families stretch back far into Colonial French Canada. My one name study of Blake and of Pincombe also dominate my blog these days.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

An interesting will that perhaps a lot of people will find interesting as he must be a merchant of some kind and has provided a list of those who owe money to him and living perhaps primarily in West Lavington. This Thomas Blake is brother to John Blake who left his will at Earlestoke (2.6 miles WNW of West Lavington) which was probated 26 Apr 1574:

Needless to say I was most excited to find this will which links together the Earlestoke and the West Lavington Blake families. Both wills mention their mother Jone/Johane Blake (widow), both mention their sister Agnes and their brothers Robert and John. No distinction is made between the two John Blakes in this family. He has a godson Thomas Dikes. Too bad he doesn't mention the names of his brothers' children.

I cannot find him in the Oxford or Cambridge Alumni Rolls nor is he in the Church of England Clergy database. Interesting that he is remembering him and Winterborne Monkton is 14 miles NNE of West Lavington. Perhaps more interestingly Winterborne Monkton is only 7 miles east of Calne Wiltshire. Do these families fit into the Blake family at Calne? Looking at the Pedigree Chart of the Blake family in this time frame we have Roger Blake married to Mary Baynard and Roger died in 1556 at the age of 57 years so born around 1500. His children and grandchildren are contemporary to this time period. He is known to have had a son Thomas who lived at Pynnells married to Edith Ivy, a son John who lived at Hilcot Wiltshire (no further information on his family although he did marry and Hilcot is nine miles north of Winterborne Monkton), a son Robert who lived at Calne but did marry Alice Smyth of Lacock (they had four children Roger, Anthony, Joane and Mary). There is another son claimed for this Roger Blake and Mary Baynard - William Blake married to Avis Ripley and they had several sons namely Peter Blake (Inner Temple did not marry), John married to Margaret Blake and this is not one of the Johns we are looking at), and William. More digging needs to be done in the records of this area particularly the manor records to see the Blake lines that are not on the Pedigree Chart or if not then discovering where these Blake families have their ancient ancestry. Manor Books are a tool I have not utilized a lot yet but do plan on getting into them after I complete my task with wills.